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Kinetics of Long‐Term Moisture Expansion in Fired‐Clay Brick
Author(s) -
Hall Christopher,
Wilson Moira A.,
Hoff William D.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2011.04831.x
Subject(s) - masonry , term (time) , brick , cracking , moisture , materials science , ceramic , composite material , geology , geotechnical engineering , engineering , structural engineering , physics , quantum mechanics
Slow, progressive moisture expansion is a general feature of fired‐clay ceramics. In masonry structures, it may produce cracking and must be allowed for in design. Expansion continues indefinitely although at a diminishing rate. Using long‐term data from four sources and extending up to 58 years, we show that a (time) 1/4 power law model describes accurately the rate of expansion. The model is remarkable in having only two adjustable parameters, and provides a firm basis for predicting expansion in structural masonry. The results support also the use of the (time) 1/4 model to represent the kinetics of long‐term mass gain in archaeological ceramics.